U.S. Secretary of Education, John B. King, Jr., announced today that Chanute Elementary School has been named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School. Chanute Eementary is one among 279 public and 50 private schools nationswide receiving this honor.

Schools are nominated for the award by the state department of education, and then complete a comprehensive application about school practices. Schools may apply for status as Exemplary High Performing—among the top schools in a state—or Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing—schools making the fastest progress in the their state in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.